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What to expect when you’re expecting: The best and worst baby-equipment retailers revealed
The best baby retailers have been voted for by shoppers, with Online4Baby and Silver Cross coming out on top of a survey by a leading consumer champion.
Both of these are exclusive online and beat bigger high street names to be crowned the best place to buy for baby, according to research from Which?.
The survey highlighted how shoppers are flocking online when looking for baby products, as three quarters (74%) of the 3,293 respondents made their most recent baby-equipment purchase online.
The top two retailers achieved a customer score of 81% where customers rated retailers based on product quality, value for money and staff helpfulness and knowledge. Shoppers praised Online4Baby’s easy-to navigate website, product range and the cost savings to be had. Its customer services team offer support seven days a week and were deemed to be helpful and knowledgeable too.
John Lewis was deemed the best option on the high street for baby equipment and had a customer score of 79%.
The consumer champion awarded its Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status to Online4Baby, as it passed a list of stringent behind-the-scenes checks on its terms and conditions and returns policies. Other stores to be granted a WRP were Mamas and Papas, Joie Baby and John Lewis.
At the other end of the scale, Baby Monitors Direct and The Range were least popular among customers and finished in the bottom two of Which?’s table, scoring 65% and 67% respectively.
Baby retailers compared
Source: Which?
Online on top but watch out for car seats
Ele Clark Which? retail editor said: “Most people now buy baby products online rather than going into a physical shop, but our research suggests that mums and dads-to-be still value excellent customer service in addition to good-value and high-quality products.
“It’s great to see several retailers ticking the boxes for their customers, proving to be reliable retailers for a range of must-have baby products.
“However, we would always recommend getting your car seat professionally installed or checked by an expert if you buy it online. If that’s not possible, most brands have detailed installation guides on YouTube which you can follow and pause while you fit yours.”
